... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The secret history of Chicago house music – a side of the scene that's even more obscure than its many rare records or long-departed clubs! The book is a fantastic follow up to the first volume – and like that one, features rare flyers, posters, and ads for some of the underground Chicago house music events and venues – some of them legitimate entertainment venues, but others more obscure hole-in-the-wall places – including some churches that were surprising hosts to house music events back in the day! The book has no text, but features full color reproductions of dozens of flyers and posters – most of them very detailed and vibrant, with loads of information on obscure artists, DJs, and other forces helping to make house music happen – often emblazoned with addresses that will come as a real surprise if you only know the Chicago of the 21st Century! A beautiful book – and one that makes us proud to call Chicago our home. Book

Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting main theme and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – maybe better this time around than the images on the screen for some of his other westerns of the period – more proof that the maestro was always willing to rise above, and give his best no matter what the setting! / Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven – the original 1978 soundtrack album and Morricone's cues programmed separately on one disc plus a bonus disc of extended score material and more bonus tracks! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting "Main Theme" and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. CD

Leroy Hutson arranged, produced, and wrote this tracks, an excellent harmony side by this stellar soul group from Chicago, with a catchy hooks and a sense of harmony that will make you think you're on the east coast. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A killer little soul group who recorded with John "Monster" Davis in the mid 70s – really soaring with a groove that rivals some of their bigger contemporaries on the east coast group scene! Touch Of Class sing in a style that's sometimes fragile, but often more suited to the soaring grooves that Davis gives them on the album – a mode that's partly disco, partly pop, and which should have been as huge as any of their Philly or New York contemporaries. There's a "slightly different" feel to the record that we really like – and tracks include "I Just Can't Say Goodbye", "I'm In Heaven", "You Got Nowhere To Come", "One Half As Much", and "I Love You Pretty Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the mighty Piero Umiliani – sounds initially written for a film that was an international "sexpose" of daily life in Sweden – but which have grown to even greater fame on their own over the years – thanks to the talent of the maestro! The music here is awash in groovy elements – lots of sweet Hammond organ lines, mod basslines, and some especially cool wordless vocals from the choir of Alessandro Alessandroni – scatting away in a great way alongside the instruments, and bringing an added level of breathy eroticism to the whole thing! This special LP version recreates the original Omicron release of the record – with titles that include the two lyrical tracks "You Tried To Warn Me" and "Sleep Now Little One", sung by Lydia McDonald – plus the tracks "Topless Party", "Eva Svedense", "Essere Donna", "La Signora Cameriera", "FotoModelle", and "Le Ragazze Dell'Archipellago". (Note, does not contain the track "Mah Na Mah Na", which is on other versions of the soundtrack – but it appears on the "partner" reissue of Umiliani's Psichedelica from Schema, under the title "Viva La Sauna Svedese".) LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

With Bobby Digital, Killarmy, and Method Man on "And Justice For All". 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes selections by Connie Boswell, Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, Fred Astaire, Helen Kane, Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A key point in the development of the Miles Davis sound of the 60s – his first album to feature work from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by some equally nice work on other tracks from Victor Feldman and Frank Butler! The sound here is beautifully spare – a wonderful exploration of ideas that Miles had been putting forth on some other albums for Columbia, but crafted here with a vision that's apparent in the very first note – and which transforms both the tunes and the work of the players into a focused, near-perfect sound all the way through. Titles include "So Near So Far", "Seven Steps To Heaven", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Joshua", and "Basin Street Blues" – which even sounds great in this setting! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... Cassette

Arranged by Jacky Terrasson. CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Back In The City", "Swear", "Hard To Say It's Over", "Hungry Eyes", "All By Myself", "Love & Affection", "Strut", and "Sugar Walls". CD

Soaring grooves, spacey keyboards, and some wonderful duo vocals from Ellis & Cephas – a tune that perfectly mixes late 70s club and earlier harmony soul modes – with all the best elements of both! The instrumentation is relatively spare – mostly drums, bass, guitar, and keys – and the sound has the roughness of an indie soul single more than a smoother club one – but it's that roughness that makes the groove great, especially given the sincerity of these vocals! "Heaven" is very much in the same territory – a bit fuller on the instrumentation, but filled with more spacey keyboards and some heavenly falsetto vocals to match! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly soul – and the second album by this fantastic Chicago soul harmony group! The record has stellar production by Leroy Hutson and Rich Tufo, and Hutson wrote a lot of the tracks. One of the best records ever to come out of the Curtom studios, and (dare we say it!) even better than the group's first one. In a market that was dominated by east coast falsetto groups, the Natural Four emerged with kind of a super-dope style that was part Curtom righteousness, part Brunswick vocal harmony, and righteous 70s soul songwriting. And as proof of this style, the album's got loads of great tracks like "While You're Away", "Count on Me", "Heaven Right Here On Earth", and "Love's So Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

Leroy Hutson arranged, produced, and wrote both tracks – and they're both excellent harmony sides by this stellar soul group from Chicago! "Heaven Right Here On Earth" is one of the group's trademark tunes – a beautifully slow track that starts with some electric sitar, then slides into a floating harmony vocal that's perfect all the way through! "While You're Away" is a bit mellower, but in a way that brings the harmonies even more to the forefront. The cut's got a great hook, and is produced to perfection with a stone cold sound! 7-inch, Vinyl record

On this single, it's the mellow cut that's the great one! "Heaven Must Be Like This" is one of the best spacey soul tracks ever recorded – a sweet and mellow groover that's shortened here for the 7" release, but which still moves along with a depth you wouldn't expect. The track's a great one to trip on back to – and drift away to the clouds on a breezy summer day! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

A killer little soul group who recorded with John "Monster" Davis in the mid 70s – really soaring with a groove that rivals some of their bigger contemporaries on the east coast group scene! Touch Of Class sing in a style that's sometimes fragile, but often more suited to the soaring grooves that Davis gives them on the album – a mode that's partly disco, partly pop, and which should have been as huge as any of their Philly or New York contemporaries. There's a "slightly different" feel to the record that we really like – and tracks include "Love Means Everything", "Anything", "One Half As Much", "Love Me Tonight", "I'm In Heaven", and "You Got To Know Better". And just for the record, this appears to be the same record as I'm In Heaven, issued on the Midland label in 1976 – but it's presented here on another label with a date of 1981. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

The first album from Stevie Woods, and one of just a few records ever by the early 80s soul groover as a headliner! It's made up of sweet mid tempo cuts, slightly spacier keys & percussion flavored numbers, slow jams with string accents and more – really nice stuff all around! Stevie's a charismatic singer, and this is well tailored, nicely produced and easygoing work. We're surprised Stevie didn't have more years in the limelight! Includes "Fly Away", "Just Can't Win 'Em All", "Take Me To Your Heaven", "Steal The Night", "Through The Years", "Wanna Be Close To You", "Read Between The Lines", "Throw A Little Bit Of Love My Way" and "Gotcha". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

There's nothing loser about this great lost record – as the set's got this subtle sense of majesty right from the start – even though the overall presentation is relatively stripped down! The group use acoustic guitars and other acoustic instrumentation, but present the work at a level that's definitely got some early 70s glam attitudes too – which almost makes the whole thing feel like you've stumbled across some David Bowie demo material, a quality that's also echoed by the English language vocals of Jay Alanski. The whole thing's pretty darn wonderful – full of subtle charms and gentle genius – all emphasized by the stripped down production of the album – on titles that include "Welcome", "Oxford 1825", "Spanish Women", "You Are Free", "Nobody Knows The Heaven", "Like An Old General", "Something To Do", "The Shining Car", "Yeah Yeah Yeah", "All Is Going Too Slow", and "There Is A Blow". Includes a bonus track version of "Nobody Knows The Heaven". CD

Timeless metal from Black Sabbath and their first album with Ronnie James Dio out front – and we'd honestly put it up there with the best work of all their careers! No disrespect to Ozzy or the early, definitive era of Black Sabbath – those first few album are among the most influential rock & roll albums of all time and Heaven & Hell doesn't reinvent the wheel – but this new phase with another veteran front man is a masterclass heavy riffs, soaring vocals and hasn't aged a day. Includes the classic title track and "Neon Knights", "Children Of The Sea", "Wishing Well", "Die Young", "Walk Away" and "Lonely Is The Word". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

With Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Branford Marsalis on alto and soprano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Titles include "Zingaro", "Dr Chang", "Cosmonaut", and "Estilo Magnifico". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure it's not the Blue Note years, but this is an excellent late set by Byrd that shows he was still one hell of a leader! Byrd's at the head of a strong group that includes Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Joe Henderson on tenor, Donald Brown on piano, and Rufus Reid on bass – and the tracks are a blend of modal and soul jazz styles, awash with color and warmth, really stretching past earlier work by Byrd. Lorice Stevens sings soprano vocals on two tracks – "A City Called Heaven" and "Remember Me" – and the other tracks include "Del Valle", "King Arthur", "Not Necessarily The Blues", and "Buck Down In Lu Easy Anna". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... Cassette

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A key point in the development of the Miles Davis sound of the 60s – his first album to feature work from Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by some equally nice work on other tracks from Victor Feldman and Frank Butler! The sound here is beautifully spare – a wonderful exploration of ideas that Miles had been putting forth on some other albums for Columbia, but crafted here with a vision that's apparent in the very first note – and which transforms both the tunes and the work of the players into a focused, near-perfect sound all the way through. Titles include "So Near So Far", "Seven Steps To Heaven", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Joshua", and "Basin Street Blues" – which even sounds great in this setting! CD

Peven Everett's breakout track! Though this single is credited to and really by new school Chicago producer Roy Davis, Jr, it's most well known around these parts as the first record that Peven really got a chance to shine on, with his soulful vocals nicely adding icing to the sweet, soulful house tracks! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Reese Sunderson's moving into slightly uplifting territory here, with nice soulful vocals over this house-y number that only really qualifies as techno from it's pedigree. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent southern duet soul stuff from this team who hit big with the cut "Lover's Holiday", but who also managed to turn out lots of other sweet soul duets in the same style. Production's by Shelby Singleton, and there's lots of original tracks written by him, Myra Smith, or Margaret Lewis. Tracks include "Over The Hill Underground", "Big City Blues", "Show it", "True Soul Lovin", and "I Want To Love You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Majestic music from tenorist Mark Turner – a set that has him soaring gently with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, a partner who really seems to make the record sparkle! The group's a quartet, with no piano – just Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums – and the tenor and trumpet do a great job of carving lines in open space, but with a fullness and focus that's quite different than an ECM date like this might have sounded decades back. The record really lives up to Turner's great legacy, but also has a unique sort of power as well – and all tunes are original compositions, with titles that include "Lathe Of Heaven", "Sonnet For Stevie", "Brother Sister 2", "Ethan's Line", and "The Edenist". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Truly tremendous work from saxophonist Kamasi Washington – a set that may well even blow away his groundbreaking Epic album – given the scope of soul and spirit in the music! As with the previous project, this one's double-length, but maybe feels even more fitted to the mode – as Washington leads this incredible ensemble that unifies a jazz group, orchestra, and choir – all at a level that might even top some of Alice Coltrane's early 70s albums for Impulse! There's a richness in vision here right from the start – music that knows what it is, where it's going, and what it can accomplish – very personal, but also very welcoming too – just the right sort of spirit to help get the nation back on track! Washington blows tenor throughout – and gets great help from Cameron Graves on piano, Brandon Coleman on organ and keyboards, and Miles Mosley on bass – whose work alone really seems to drive the proceedings! Titles include "Can You Hear Him", "Fists Of Fury", "Will You Sing", "Journey", "Street Fighter Mas", "The Space Travelers Lullaby", "The Psalmnist", "One Of One", and "The Invincible Youth". Comes with a bonus CD called The Choice – with the Kamasi-composed "The Secret Of Jinsonson", "Agents Of Multiverse" and "My Family", plus covers of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Ooh Child" – it's another 38 minutes of music hidden in the center of the cover! CD

Heaven might be a blast, but The Wilson McKinley are having a plenty good time on earth, too – really honing their craft for this obscure album of spirit-filled rock from the Seattle scene! The album's got the same gentle message of faith as the group's previous records, but also has the group picking up a bit more bite on their guitars, too – solos that are maybe a bit more prominent in the mix, and played with surprising intensity for a combo who also dedicated some of their time to street level ministry in the city. Vocals often have a nice sense of harmony – almost Grateful Dead-like at times – and titles include "Never Cry No More", "A Warm Summer Day", "Standin At The Crossroads", "I'm Only Smilin", and "Words To Tell You". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Dr. John and Roger Kellaway CD

Music from Vinnie Monte, Nicardi Brothers, Judd Hamilton, Jerry Mason, The Temptations, Johnny Vanelli, Danny Leslie, Steve Fallon, Tony Cosmo, Ben Higgins, and more - 34 tracks in all. CD

Music from The Hippies, Billy Storm, Ben Sherwin, Billy Borlynn, Bobby Diamond, Dan Folger, Deanna Kimball, Jimmy Borges, Vic Dana, Jamie Coe, Danny Wilson, and more - 34 tracks in all. CD

Music from Tobin Mathews, Bobby Keene, Eddie Carr, Steve Rossi, The Frontiers, Neil Sheppard, Vito Picone, The Arvettes, Walter Jackson, Johnny Caswell, and more. CD

Features Ozzy Osbourne performing "Purple Haze", plus more covers by Skid Row, Bon Jovi, Gorky Park, and Motley Crue. CD

Music from Eddie Cantor, Frank Crumit, Leo Reisman, George Hall, Alex Bartha, Roy Bargy, Bob Miller, Joe Stone, Uncle Dave Macon, Woody Guthrie, and more. CD

... CD

Late work from RL Burnside – done in that raw, raspy style that really helped set fire to the second half of his career! The production and instrumentation show a bit of the attention that Burnside was getting from the indie rock world – but at the core of the record, the vocals and songwriting are rock-solid – and stand as a nicely earthy, almost timeless counterpart to some of the fuzzier guitar in the mix. There's a few great moments where RL speaks a bit at the start of tunes, which really grounds the proceedings – and titles include "RL's Story", "Hard Time Killing Floor", "Got Messed Up", "Nothin Man", "Too Many Ups", and "See What My Buddy Done". CD

Great work by this youthful alto talent from Italy – a player with a tone that's every bit as classic as you might expect from the album's cover! Cafiso plays with an edge that's sharp, but a tone that's almost as deep as a tenor at times – really opening up on the longer tracks here, with a sense of spontaneous invention that's spurred along strongly by rhythms from Andrea Pozza on piano, Aldo Zunino on bass, and Nicola Angelucci on drums. The set includes a version of "Seven Steps To Heaven" – as promised in the title – plus "Yesterdays", "Green Chimneys", "Skylark", "Milestones", and "Crazeology". CD

A set that's way more than just a "best of" from Anthony David – as it opens with his great recent cut "Heaven", a sublime duet with Algebra Blesset, and a stunning acoustic remake of a classic Womack tune from way back! The warmth of David's vocals has only deepened over the years – and it's great to trace the evolution from the already-great early cuts to some of the really wonderful recent ones – as Anthony works both solo, and in duets with other artists who include India Arie, Kiesha Jackson, and Giovanca. Titles include the original version of "Heaven", and "Heaven (amapiano mix)" – and Blessett returns on "Need You Now" – next to other tunes that include "Words", "Something About You", "Yes", "Smoke One", "Everything Is Everything", "Need You Now", "Lady", "4Evermore", "Livin It Up", "Rule The World", "Cheatin Man", and "The Further We Go". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Unreleased work from the BBC Archives of the 70s – a stunning large group session with a very groovy vibe! Dave Gold isn't as much of a giant as some of the other British leaders of the time – but he's got a wonderful way with the group here, and makes the music move with some of the funky currents that he brought to his work for the KPM Sound Library – where you might know Dave from some key albums! Gold was also working as the leader of the jazzy group on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar – and he has the lineup here take off on a soaring funky version of that show's "Heaven On Their Minds" – a great cut that's worth the price of admission alone, served up with a mix of tenor and flute from Brian Ashe, baritone from Ronnie Ross, electric piano from Cliff Hall, and guitar from John Girvan – amidst a larger group of trumpets, trombones, and alto saxes. Other cuts include the gold originals "O'Connell Street" and "Nostalgia" – both groovy tracks with an MPS big band vibe – plus a version of the Jimmy Webb tune "Pocketful Of Keys". LP, Vinyl record album

Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana on trombones, Elmer Gill on piano, Torban Oxbol on bass, andGeorge Ursan on drums. CD